The governments of Murcia and Andalusia consider it “reckless” to go ahead, and meet with the sector in Berlin to ask the minister to postpone the processing
These are decisive days for the future of the Diversion, which increase the tension between the regional government and the Ministry for the Ecological Transition. The Minister of Agriculture and Water, Antonio Luengo, yesterday called an emergency meeting with the producers, exporters and irrigators of the Region who are at the Fruit Logistica fair in Berlin, to ask Minister Teresa Ribera to postpone the Council meeting of the Water of the Segura Basin, scheduled for tomorrow, which aims to approve the new hydrological plan of the demarcation for the years 2022-27. They consider that it should not be approved blindly, without first knowing what flows will arrive from the Tagus in the coming years and the real impact that the decrease in flows will have.
The Andalusian Minister of Agriculture, Carmen Crespo, and the president of the irrigators of the Transfer, Lucas Jiménez, have joined the petition. The Murcian councilor described as “reckless and irresponsible” that the Segura Plan continues without knowing the definitive proposal of the demarcation of the Tagus on the increase in ecological flows, and its socioeconomic impact in the Region of Murcia, Alicante and Almeria. Taking advantage of the presence at the Berlin fair of representatives of the Trasvase irrigators, Croem, Proexport, Apoexpa, Fecoam and the Ingenio Foundation, the councilor held a meeting to analyze the situation and draw up a letter that they sent to Minister Teresa Ribera to to delay the Segura Water Council.
“They have called us with very little time to pronounce on a very complex matter, without knowing what the Ministry is going to do in the Tagus, with the enormous importance it has for the Region,” added the counselor, “especially after the president of the CHS became a spokesperson for the Ministry, taking for granted that there will be a loss of 5,000 direct jobs and more than 12,000 hectares of production”, added Luengo. The CHS has convened representatives of the Basin Water Council this Friday at the Murcia Chamber of Commerce.
López Miras asks for a meeting
As announced the day before, President Fernando López Miras also yesterday sent a letter to Pedro Sánchez to guarantee the continuity of the Transfer, in which he requests a meeting, “in the shortest possible time, to seek an agreement that solve this state problem in a fair, equitable and permanent manner. López Miras asks that the reduction of 105 cubic hectometres of water to be transferred annually with respect to current shipments, contemplated in the new Tajo Basin Plan, be ruled out, reported the Community.
López Miras denounces that said measure will mean, according to the Confederation of El Segura itself, the infeasibility of production of 12,000 hectares, the loss of 5,000 direct jobs and an economic impact of 122 million euros per year.
“It places the Region in a defenseless position”
The signatories of the letter addressed to the vice president Teresa Ribera highlight their “enormous concern” about the decisions that may be adopted, while they consider the meeting of the Segura Water Council to validate the demarcation plan “very inappropriate”, “While the Tagus is still unknown and there has been no response to the allegations presented.” “The availability of water that can be counted on is not known.” They consider that this places the Region “in a position of defenselessness and lack of transparency that we cannot allow.” The letter is signed by Antonio Luengo, Carmen Crespo, Lucas Jiménez, Manuel Martínez, Juan Marín, Mariano Zapata, Joaquín Gómez, Santiago Martínez and Adolfo García.
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